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Organisations of Novdahain
I'll be fine father, I'm part of the Merchant's Guild now, I'm not afraid of the city and its little plots and schemes. You should be son, you should be. Aye, a merchantman you might be, and I'm damn proud of you for it. But for every little plot in that city, there's a little skeleton at the bottom of the lake. Never forget who you work for, and never forget how quickly they'll cast you overboard. This article is part of a series on the Realm of Novdahain. Other articles include: * History of Novdahain * The Capital of Novdahain * The Leddic Domains * Voynasa Provinces * Karelian Marches * Personalities of Novdahain * Religion and the Higher Arts in Novdahain Organisations in Novdahain From Merchant Guilds to criminal gangs, the organisations that define daily life in the Realm of Novdahain are outlined below. High Council of Novdahain Composed of 29 Nobles who live and govern from Salkasil Palace in the Capital, the High Council is arguably the most influential organisation in the Realm. High councilors serve for 10 years before they are re-elected by the 300 noble families that make up Novdahain's ruling class. 9 of the councilors are always hand-picked by the Grand Prince.. The Grand Council, in conjunction with the King, hold sway over most of the policies enacted in the Realm. from taxation to warfare, treaties to law-making, the High Council is assisted by dozens of clerks, lawyers and assistants. Because the High Council is democratic,a majority of votes to pass proposals (15 when all councilors are sitting), influence in the High Council is everything, and many scandals have arisen over corruption, bribery and coercion, though many more remain hidden from public view. Crucially, absenteeism lowers the requisite amount of votes, and absentee councilors rarely last their term. The importance of the High Council makes it the ultimate goal for any group wielding influence in the city. From the Merchant Council to the Faith, or the Lords of the Ledd to the Drenden Company, groups shuffle for places on the High Council incessantly, and in many cases it is the surest way of forwarding their goals. Important characters in the High Council (as of 4DE): * Alexei Volonski - Patriarch of the Volonski Family, Alexei is a powerful figure on the council, and frequently rallies cohorts of other councilors behind him. He is a frequent opponent of the Grand Prince Nikolai Ordin * Yekatrina Dashkova - Matriarch of the Leddic House Dashkova. Fierce supporter of the Grand Prince, she opposes the growing influence of the Drenden Company on Novdahain politics. * Vanriv Rendor - The cold lord of Inverni, Vanriv is one of the Grand Prince's chosen 9 councilors. A traditionalist and warmonger, Vanriv ceaselessly tries to raise support for a march on Baarsk in a city that had no appetite for battle. The loss of his eldest son in the Siege of Sudniv has doubtlessly been a factor in his ambitions. * Bernhard de Tolda - The only foreigner to sit on the High Council, Bernhard de Tolda is also leader of the Drenden Company's operations in Novdahain. A shrewd diplomat, he has managed to push the Company's agenda far beyond the borders of his own jurisdiction, to the profit of his allies and the ire of his detractors. * Gregor Kannis - A humble noble of the Karelian Marches, Gregor is one of the Grand Prince's chosen councilors, and a loyal servant of the throne. Largely uninterested in political maneuvering or agendas, Gregor avoids the tides of intrigue that sweep through the capital. He was however involved in one scandal, where it was revealed that he had adopted a half-orc into his household in the Marches. College of Volshebni The College of Volshebni is the primary institution for the magical arts in Novdahain. Established in 385LN, the College was a response to the threat of Spellblights in the region that had afflicted nobleman and commoner alike for centuries. Managed by the Faith of the Three Protections, but staffed by magisters and other magic users, the College taught countless divine and arcane spellcasters the art of controlling magic through the Divine Words of Making. The Divine Words of Making were first discovered and taught by Kazimir Levov, the first Archmagister of the College. By intersplicing his spells with precise uses of words of protection and binding, Archmagister Levov was able to fully protect himself and those around him from the threat of Spellblights and wild magic. Since his death, his teachings have been passed from one generation to the next, interrupted only by the Silence of the Gods, which rendered the Divine Words useless, and almost brought the College to total ruin. Roles of the College The College provides many roles, not only for the Realm, but also for the Faith of the Three Protections Arbiter The Archmagister of the College was historically often consultant on matters of the Realm, and their voice carried weight in the Capitol and beyond. Legally, the Archmagister is also one of the three chosen to count the votes to elect a new Grand Prince. Since the Silence however, fear of magic and spellblights has reduced the Archmagister's role, and the current Archmagister, Menav Sapieh, has not been summoned to court in nearly a decade, though he is expected there when the new Grand Prince is to be elected. Tutor The College tutors not only spellcasters of the arcane tradition, but also those of the Divine. Upon its founding, Kazimir Levov foresaw an institution in which the two schools of magic could learn from one another. Thus, the Sanctifiers, Orati and Bolezhny of the Faith are trained in the college alongside the students of the arcane, learning not only a broader theory of magic, but also the dangers of arcane spellcasting that they may face. Archivist The College of Volshebni is home to the largest library in the Realm, and is charged with keeping records of many of the noble families in Novdahain. This, perhaps above all others, is the role which has not been affected by the Silence, as increasingly nobles see the College as an impartial body in which to store wills, deeds, titles and genealogies. Category:Organisations Category:Farthrone Category:Novdahain